Addis ababa: On the sidelines of the UN Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktake in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s Minister of Agriculture, Girma Amante, met with Amna Aldahak, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, to discuss strengthening collaboration in agriculture and food systems value chains.

According to Ethiopian News Agency, Minister Girma highlighted the strategic importance of agriculture for Ethiopia’s food security. He discussed the Green Legacy initiative, which has resulted in the planting of billions of trees, and emphasized Ethiopia’s growing exports of coffee and meat to the Middle East. Furthermore, Minister Girma noted ongoing discussions with the Khalifa Foundation to begin date (temir) production in Ethiopia, with a joint meeting planned for August in Ethiopia and the UAE.

The UAE Minister emphasized the strong strategic ties between Ethiopia and the UAE across multiple sectors. She identified opportunities to deepen cooperation in areas such as agricultural investment, packaging, value addition, and public-private partnerships. The aim is to ensure sustainable development and attract further investors to Ethiopia.

Additionally, Minister Girma announced that Ethiopia has signed an agreement with Italy under the Mattei Plan to boost value chains and reduce the vulnerability of coffee producers. This initiative will be implemented in both Ethiopia and Uganda.